posted at 4:42 pm on August 21, 2012 by Allahpundit

Maybe ObamaCare won’t be so bad, guys. A couple of tweaks to IPAB, a little fine-tuning of those state insurance exchanges, and who knows? We might be able to duct-tape this boondoggle together and keep it aloft for a decade or two. If anyone can make it work, it’s President Romney, right?

Jennifer Duffy of Cook waves bye-bye to the prospective 51st vote for repeal:

#MOSen: moved the race to Likely Democrat.As long as Akin is running, it is unwinnable for Republicans. If he exits, it’s back to Toss Up.

Ed and ConArtCritic, who analyzes polls for Ace’s site, argue persuasively that the PPP poll this morning showing Akin up by a point is essentially garbage, as it’s based on a ridiculously lopsided Republican sample. (PPP is Kos’s pollster; go figure that they’d churn out some encouragement for Akin to stay in the race at a decisive moment.) A more realistic turnout model in Missouri would have McCaskill up comfortably by six or seven points, and that’s before the Democratic ad machine, now fully loaded with disapproving quotes from Akin’s fellow Republicans, goes to work on him.

But it’s apparently useless trying to point this out to the candidate: Paul Ryan called Akin personally yesterday to vent his disapproval and, just as I’m writing this, with less than two hours before the withdrawal deadline expires, Romney has issued a statement flatly calling on Akin to quit the race. Problem is, there’s really nothing the party can offer him to make it worth his while to go. Read this short but smart piece at Salon listing the many reasons Akin has to keep going. He’s old; he’s still got a more or less 50/50 shot at the Senate; he may or may not think his primary victory was divinely ordained, etc etc etc. If he were a younger pol, the GOP leadership might be able to tempt him with the promise of some plum position down the road if he plays ball now. As it is, the one and only argument his critics have is to ask him to put conservatism first and step aside to maximize our chances of repealing ObamaCare. You can see from his Huckabee interview this afternoon how seriously he takes that argument. Charlie Crist’s still the most nakedly careerist politician I’ve ever seen, but you’ve got to hand it to Akin: Even Crist never put his own ambitions above his party’s top agenda items.

He can still quit after today’s deadline passes, but to do so he’ll need a court order. Can he get one? As Nate Silver notes, four of the six justices of the Missouri Supreme Court are Democratic appointees, and Akin has no stronger supporters in America right now when it comes to staying on the ballot than Democrats. Meanwhile, if Priebus and Cornyn are serious about withholding money from this guy in the assurance that conservatives will blame Akin for the eventual loss, not them, I think they’re kidding themselves. Once it’s clear that he’s in the race to the bitter end, the calculus among many of his critics will shift from “he’s a moron” to “he’s a moron but he’s our moron,” such that if the RNC and NRSC cut him off, the dreaded Beltway RINO establishment will be blamed for not having done everything they could to make the best of a bad hand. (That would be less likely if McCaskill utterly crushed him on election day, but she’s sufficiently weak that she probably won’t win by more than four or five points. He’ll be competitive, sort of, down the stretch.) Never mind that the money they save might prove critically useful elsewhere; once Akin proves he’s a “fighter,” willing to tell both Democrats and Republicans to go to hell, that’ll earn him a certain base of populist support that will demand financial support from GOP treasurers on his behalf. And if they don’t provide it, they’ll be scapegoated, not him.

We’re 80 minutes from the deadline as I write this. While we wait to see if today’s pledge not to quit holds, here’s Rush Limbaugh via the Daily Rushbo.

Governor Scott Walker released the following statement today calling on U.S. Representative Todd Akin (R-MO) to remove himself from his U.S. Senate bid to unseat Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO).

“Representative Todd Akin’s comments were ignorant at best and completely outrageous. For the good of his state and for the good of his party, he should step aside immediately and allow someone else to run.”

Holding McCaskill’s seat is job one for Democrats, but obviously they want more out of Akingate. A lot more.

Breaking on Hot Air

Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.

Comments

At first I felt sorry for him because I know what its like to make a mistake, then get piled on. However, the way he conducted himself the last 72 hours is a disgrace for the State of Missouri. He is just fine with giving the rest of us the finger for his forlorn ambitions.

eva3071 on August 21, 2012 at 4:56 PM

Agreed. Usually you expect some sort of sympathy backlash for a guy like Achin’. He did apologize after all. The problem is he’s being confronted with the reality that he has no hope of winning this race and there’s too much at stake for him to gamble away potentially the entire future of this nation simply because he feels that he still has a shot at this. I don’t think anyone’s gonna rally to his cause after the way he’s behaved the last 24 hours.

Jaco’s not to blame here. Any politician worth his salt should have an answer to a abortion-and-rape comment that doesn’t involve the words “legitimate rape” or postulate the existence of uterine fairy magic.

Listened to Hannity. Un- FRICKING-Believable – He is ENJOYING THIS. He has NEVER had this much ATTENTION. He LOVES THIS SO DAMN MUCH. We need to ignore him and hope that we can capitalize in other areas. At least Romney told him to get out.

Rush notes the sample for the (liberal) PPP poll showing Akin still up by one has a ridiculous +9 Rebublican skew (usually these polls are way skewed to the Dems, lol). Worse, it is only going to get worse. With every day of additional voter engagement with the echo chamber, and with the McCaskill attacks, and with Akin having little money, Akin is going down the tubes, fully.
Even worser, we don’t even want Akin to win. Akin would become a Republican albatross. So, now we must field a 3rd candidate. And, as Cook reports, MO is now likely Democrat… we all must fully and cleanly disavow this Akin candidate so we aren’t tainted by association.

I agree. She doesn’t even have to switch, she can just caucus with the GOP. Run someone — anyone — and get 100% behind him/her. Flood that state with ads, connect this POS to McCaskill — he was HER choice, SHE bought ads for him, SHE wants him to win — and get someone else elected. Make this mess Claire McCaskill’s fault. I think the NRSC might be thinking this because they issued a statement just awhile ago that Akin will have not one ounce of their support. He’ll be completely on his own. No money, no ads. Nothing.

Now Akin is essentially saying Romney shouldn’t butt into his race. Part of me gets where he’s coming from. He’s mad that his gaffe has effectively destroyed his chances at winning this seat. The problem is he’s handling it like a spoiled brat. He keeps talking about principles, but he won’t put them about his own selfish ambition.

For those of you outsiders hawking Sarah Steelman, it would not fly here in Missouri. We have a sore loser law that prevents either her or John Brunner to run as an independent. Furthermore, Sarah Steelman has lost every race since at least 2006-2008 for a reason. She is percieved accurately as a flake here in the Ozarks.

I agree. She doesn’t even have to switch, she can just caucus with the GOP. Run someone — anyone — and get 100% behind him/her. Flood that state with ads, connect this POS to McCaskill — he was HER choice, SHE bought ads for him, SHE wants him to win — and get someone else elected. Make this mess Claire McCaskill’s fault. I think the NRSC might be thinking this because they issued a statement just awhile ago that Akin will have not one ounce of their support. He’ll be completely on his own. No money, no ads. Nothing.

Rational Thought on August 21, 2012 at 5:09 PM

and once we have a game plan, zero attention to Akin – total isolation.

Akin is the problem in Washington. An entrenched politician who can’t give up his perks for the good of the Nation/Party. I normally don’t get emotional, but this selfish a-hole is making me and quite a few other people very angry.

Corporal Tunnel on August 21, 2012 at 4:47 PM

Yup and Akin is also toxic to the Pro-Life movement – instead of talking about real science we have to deal with his idiotic statements.

You obviously don’t live in NJ where they make up the law if they don’t like it. At least Missouri has an opt-out clause after the 1st date. In NJ, Torricelliwas past every deadline and the leftist court still replacedhim. NJ elected a cadaver in his place that’s still in office.

njrob on August 21, 2012 at 5:06 PM

What happened with the Dems in NJ did cross my mind earlier. Not a fan of twisting the law that way. If there is a legitimate way to get the guy off there if he changes his mind, then I am all for it.

Withdraw from the race, Mr. Akin. Please. For the good of your country, please withdraw. We’ll forgive you if you just get the hell out. I don’t want my little girl to grow up having to live under ObamaCare. I don’t want my soon-to-be-born son to live in a world where he’s given more incentive to leech off others than he is to stand up for himself. I want my kids to be good, responsible people. I want them to be free. If there was a way for me to trade my own freedom to preserve theirs, I would.

You say you care about children. Now prove it. They deserve a future. Get out of this race and give us a chance at that future. Please.

It is really amusing that outsiders think Sarah Steelman is a better choice just because her higness Sarah Palin endorsed her without paying attention to the local issues we’ve had with Sarah Steelman.

You’re dead wrong on this AP. Giving this fool any money would just allow Dems and media to tie the entire GOP to him and could cost Senate seats elsewhere. He’ll be treated as radioactive, as he should be.

Jon0815 on August 21, 2012 at 5:05 PM

The epitome of naivite if you don’t yet realize that they will anyway?

Now he has to run as a man against both parties and Missouri locals may not take kindly to the elites dissing one of their own, faulty as he is.

One mistake (his) is only compounded by the second(The GOP cannibalism machine) Why didn’t they go after him in private -in case he’d say no? Now they have to live with a twice stuck pig. (Gosh I’m sounding more and more like Ted Nugent every day.)

What happened with the Dems in NJ did cross my mind earlier. Not a fan of twisting the law that way. If there is a legitimate way to get the guy off there if he changes his mind, then I am all for it.

McDuck on August 21, 2012 at 5:13 PM

I take the opposite tack. The Torricelli Maneuver legitimizes, in my mind, any path we take with regards to getting this moron off the ticket. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, and all that.

Now he’s rambling about how generous of a country we are. You’re missing the point, you moron! YOU CANNOT WIN THIS RACE!!! Why are you gambling so much with so little to gain from it? In fact, you could lose way more than you gain.

I’m listening to Akin right now on Hannity.
I know why Huckabee supported him. He is convinced that he is the one. He is the Republican Obama. He’s not getting out because he knows best.
Wow. Nice pick Missouri.

Now Akin is essentially saying Romney shouldn’t butt into his race. Part of me gets where he’s coming from. He’s mad that his gaffe has effectively destroyed his chances at winning this seat. The problem is he’s handling it like a spoiled brat. He keeps talking about principles, but he won’t put them about his own selfish ambition.

Doughboy on August 21, 2012 at 5:11 PM

Had Akin resigned just 24 hours ago, he’d probably still have a seat at the Convention, a nice gig in K-Street waiting for him and, in due time, plenty of think-tanks and political talk show invitations. Or an Ambassadorship in some nice, warm, country. Maybe even a return to his congressional seat in 4 or 6 years if he’s still interested in running campaigns by then and there’s an opening.

By going this way, he’s become a political pariah for the rest of his life.

MOGOP has to share the blame on this…someone needs to filter who gets into these races

from the Stl Post Dispatch

In 1989, Todd Akin went to Jefferson City as a state representative and fought for home-school rights. His children were homeschooled on the same 8.5-acre property in Town and Country purchased by his steel executive father more than 50 years ago. Akin stayed and raised his own children there. Every year, he would hold a Fourth of July party and even dress up in Colonial attire.

The property became surrounded by suburban mansions over the years. Akin moved to a modest house in Wildwood a few years ago when his father sought to sell and subdivide the Town and Country land.

Akin focused his campaign for the U.S. Senate on moral values. He has said one of his biggest achievements in the U.S. House was his push to protect the one-nation-under-God provision in the Pledge of Allegiance.

In 2000, he unexpectedly won the Republican primary for Missouri’s 2nd congressional district over some well-known GOP names. The primary was on a rainy day. Akin’s supporters, mainly religious and home-schoolers, showed up despite the bad weather.

It is really amusing that outsiders think Sarah Steelman is a better choice just because her higness Sarah Palin endorsed her without paying attention to the local issues we’ve had with Sarah Steelman.

Now he’s rambling about how generous of a country we are. You’re missing the point, you moron! YOU CANNOT WIN THIS RACE!!! Why are you gambling so much with so little to gain from it? In fact, you could lose way more than you gain.

Doughboy on August 21, 2012 at 5:15 PM

I hate to say this, but I think after listening to this guy, that he has a screw loose..

The epitome of naivite if you don’t yet realize that they will anyway?

Now he has to run as a man against both parties and Missouri locals may not take kindly to the elites dissing one of their own, faulty as he is.

One mistake (his) is only compounded by the second(The GOP cannibalism machine) Why didn’t they go after him in private -in case he’d say no? Now they have to live with a twice stuck pig. (Gosh I’m sounding more and more like Ted Nugent every day.)

Don L on August 21, 2012 at 5:15 PM

They went after him in private. Then they went after him in public but in very gentle ways – the first Romney/Ryan statement about this issue was merely a polite disagreement. He never got the message, so they need to try everything.

Is there any Repubs that weren’t in the primary that can run as independents and actually get on the ballot? If they could coordinate quickly and have a money bomb I’m fairly sure they’d get quite a bit from those of us not living in the state to take on Akin and Claire

They also had Missouri previously as “toss-up.” Sorry, but anyone reasonable would have had that as lean Romney. It’s one of the few “swing states” that really aren’t and are basically guaranteed to be in his column this time around.

Let’s use the Dem plant angle. Move forward in Harry “The Birdy Told Me So” Reid fashion the link to McCaskill with all of her money laundering of Akin’s campaign in the GOP primary and open voting. RNC/GOP defund him completely. Prop up your 3rd party candidate and money bomb him. Cruise to victory.

Had Akin resigned just 24 hours ago, he’d probably still have a seat at the Convention, a nice gig in K-Street waiting for him and, in due time, plenty of think-tanks and political talk show invitations. Or an Ambassadorship in some nice, warm, country. Maybe even a return to his congressional seat in 4 or 6 years if he’s still interested in running campaigns by then and there’s an opening.

By going this way, he’s become a political pariah for the rest of his life.

joana on August 21, 2012 at 5:16 PM

The man is insane. He’s so full of himself that he can’t see what he’s risking. I hope for his sake that the GOP dominates elsewhere and this becomes a “what might’ve been” race instead of the one we look back at as having cost us the nation. Because if it’s the latter, I really don’t think he understands the holy hell that will be the remainder of his life when the people of this nation never cease to remind him wherever he goes what he cost us because he put personal ambition and greed over doing what’s right.

And you react like a Pavlovian dog when your goddess does something. Admit it, the only reason why you even support her is because of Sarah Palin, otherwise she would be another no-name to you.

eva3071 on August 21, 2012 at 5:20 PM

Huh? I don’t believe in goddesses, nor did I ever say I support Steelman. BTW, I have known who she is for at least two years now, well before the Palin endorsement. I just thought it would be nice of you to provide justification for some of your assertions for once. That is all.

In 1989, Todd Akin went to Jefferson City as a state representative and fought for home-school rights. His children were homeschooled on the same 8.5-acre property in Town and Country purchased by his steel executive father more than 50 years ago.

r keller on August 21, 2012 at 5:16 PM

really, home schooling? lol! I imagine his sons also believe the same idiocies that he does. lol!

So basically most of the commenters on this thread (and the die-for-the-GOPers elsewhere) think that people will put in McCaskill just to teach him some lesson. Last time I checked, the GOP side of the ballot had about 60% voting not for Akin.

If the tea partiers and Missourians in general think so little of their state that they would vote donkey, then they deserve what they get. The GOP is going to take back the Senate with or without Akin so this is only about Missouri anyway.

Now he has to run as a man against both parties and Missouri locals may not take kindly to the elites dissing one of their own, faulty as he is.

Unless the locals also want to cut him off as well. I think your underestimating the level of vehemence many of us have towards him right now. There is no way he can just pawn this of as “grass-roots” vs, “establishment”.